Titus Andronicus By William Shakespeare Directed by Jake Rosenberg A review by Kate Barry
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Walking into the Highview Arts Center, you immediately notice the thrashing sounds of the punk rock pre-show music. Once you find a seat and take a look at the wooden, jagged set smeared with red handprints, it becomes clear that something chaotic is about to happen. CompanyOutcast has pieced together a passion project in the form of Titus Andronicus that sinks its teeth into revenge and gore.
If you are not familiar with the Shakespearean tragedy, here is an oversimplified summary: Titus rules the Roman army. His army has captured the Goths, and Titus gifts the queen of the Goths to the new emperor. Titus killed the queen’s son too. What follows are acts of revenge involving banishment, rape, body mutilation and characters baked into pie.
Often times this play is seen as one of Shakespeare’s most violent works. This production does well to present the violence with an even keel. Fight choreography is done well and just enough prop work is done to present dismembered body parts just shocking enough. Color is used to establish mood. A red light fills the stage to note the pending terrors while green and blue lights represent mourning or peaceful scenes. The use of color was a smart choice but the costume choices were questionable. While the majority of the characters in favor of Titus wore modern clothes of green and brown, one notable character appears in a garb reminiscent or the Roman Empire. Nevertheless, the inconsistent costume choices were merely a distraction from the play as a whole.
CompanyOutcast does well to present performances where speeches are given with the truest emotion and grit. Some great creative choices are made to heighten the suspense. Ev Davis’ Lavinia’s presents a tormented survivor in scenes following her behanding and losing her tongue. Davis’ slumped body language and fearsome look in her eye brings much needed trauma to an already tragic character. Michael Guanieri takes on a double role of Demetrius and Chiron, effectively using a burlap face mask from an earlier scene as a puppet. Guanieri uses these two roles with great magnitude as they bring a performance that is losing grip with reality and sinking deeper into motives of revenge.
As the title character, Kimby Taylor-Peterson is a ruthless Titus. Taylor-Peterson brings a tough energy not to be trifled with as she seeks revenge on her daughter’s rape, the death of her sons and the banishment of her son, Lucius (played with noble conviction by Jason Effinger). She shows range as a ruler who is in grief but will not let that keep her from clapping back at those who have wronged her in the most grotesque ways. This is a Titus Andronicus who is smart and cunning against her vengeful foe, Tamora of the Goths, played with wicked indulgences by Anna Meade.
As the queen of the Goths, Meade is a delight to watch as she turns each deceit and spins each tangled web of terror. With Saturninus, Jordan Aikin brings a performance of a ruler who is easily manipulated by the simplest compliments and deception. Joe Monroe’s Aaron stands out as Tamora’s secret lover. His passion shines through in his confessional scene with the “twenty kisses” speech.
During his curtain speech, director Jason Rosenberger states “a lot of bad things happen to every character” in Titus Andronicus. While said in jest, this is pretty accurate. But even with all the bloodshed, Shakespeare’s work shows what it takes to break the human spirit and what it takes to survive.
Titus Andronicus CompanyOutcast October 18-20 7406 Fegenbush Lane Louisville, KY 40228 www.highviewartscenter.com
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